Benson
update
Season 0
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1: Making of Season 1 Documentary
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2: Inside the Governor's Mansion: Remembering Season One of Benson
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3: Favorite Episodes
Season 1
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Thursday, September 13th, 1979
1: Change (Pilot)
Benson comes to work for Governor Gatling and helps find a way for a bridge to be built without killing beavers.
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Thursday, September 20th, 1979
2: Trust Me
Katie sneaks off to a rock concert while under Benson's watch.
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Thursday, September 27th, 1979
3: The President's Double
When a visiting African president is incapacitated, Benson steps into the role and is targeted by assassins.
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Thursday, October 4th, 1979
4: Benson in Love
Benson falls for an attractive senator he meets in the mansion.
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Thursday, October 18th, 1979
5: Conflict of Interest
Governor Gatling is torn between attending Katie's school play and accepting an important political invitation.
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Thursday, October 25th, 1979
6: The Layoff
To cut spending, Benson must lay off a sweet old woman, which upsets Katie.
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Thursday, November 1st, 1979
7: Snowbound
Heavy snowfall leaves the staff stuck in a cottage in the woods.
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Thursday, November 8th, 1979
8: Jessica
When the visiting Jessica Tate's elderly companion suddenly dies, Benson must help move the corpse to avoid a political scandal.
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Thursday, November 22nd, 1979
9: Don't Quote Me
The staff tries to discover who made a disparaging comment about a state senator that has the governor on the defensive.
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Thursday, November 29th, 1979
10: War Stories
Benson introduces Marcy to an old army buddy, unaware his friend is married.
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Thursday, December 6th, 1979
11: Ghost Story
Thinking the mansion is haunted, the staff holds a seance.
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Thursday, December 13th, 1979
12: Taylor's Bid
Taylor quits to run for public office, but the governor finds he can't do without him.
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Thursday, December 27th, 1979
13: One Strike, You're Out
With the mansion's domestic workers on strike, the staff must take on all of the household duties.
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Thursday, January 3rd, 1980
14: Just Friends
The governor woos a powerful businessman whose wife is Benson's old flame.
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Thursday, January 10th, 1980
15: Chain of Command
With the governor ill, the irritating lieutenant governor makes a play for power that the staff tries to thwart.
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Thursday, January 24th, 1980
16: Bugging the Governor
When hidden microphones are found in the mansion, the staff plots to find the perpetrators.
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Thursday, January 31st, 1980
17: Kraus Affair
Kraus has a crush on the butcher and needs help from Benson and Marcy to reel him in.
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Thursday, February 7th, 1980
18: Checkmate
A young Soviet chess prodigy hides in Katie's room and nearly causes an international incident.
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Thursday, February 28th, 1980
19: Cold Storage
Benson and Kraus become trapped in a freezing storage room.
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Thursday, March 6th, 1980
20: Old Man Gatlin'
When the governor's loudmouth father visits, it's up to Benson to keep him in check during an important speech.
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Thursday, March 20th, 1980
21: Power Play
A mysterious environmental activist causes trouble for the governor and his staff.
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Thursday, March 27th, 1980
22: Takin' It to the Streets
To connect with constituents, Governor Gatling and Benson visit a mangy bar.
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Thursday, May 1st, 1980
23: The Army Wants You
Benson learns that his military unit was the subject of germ warfare testing.
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Thursday, May 8th, 1980
24: Marcy's Vacation
When Marcy plans her vacation, she worries her replacement may take her job.
Season 2
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Friday, October 31st, 1980
1: Thick as Thieves
Benson and Kraus are held hostage during a market robbery.
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Friday, November 7th, 1980
2: Benson in the Hospital
Benson is hospitalized with a mysterious allergy.
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Friday, November 14th, 1980
3: Fool's Gold
The staff goes on a frantic search for gold that may be hidden in the mansion.
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Friday, November 21st, 1980
4: Masquerade
Benson saves the day when a priceless gold statue becomes the target of revolutionaries from a foreign land.
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Friday, November 28th, 1980
5: First Lady
Katie believes her father is going to remarry without having told her first.
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Friday, December 12th, 1980
6: Citizen Kraus
Miss Kraus seeks to become an American citizen.
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Friday, December 19th, 1980
7: Benson's Groupie
Benson is relentlessly pursued by a wealthy but eccentric former lover.
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Friday, January 9th, 1981
8: In High Places
The governor must take the reins of a plane when the pilot dies during the flight.
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Friday, January 16th, 1981
9: Old School Ties
Governor Gatling sends Katie off to boarding school but soon realizes he made a mistake.
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Friday, January 23rd, 1981
10: The Apartment
Benson rents an apartment in a futile attempt to escape the madness of the mansion.
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Friday, February 6th, 1981
11: Big Buddy
Benson becomes a mentor to a boy from a broken home.
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Friday, February 13th, 1981
12: Fireside Chat
While the governor makes a televised speech, Marcy and her boyfriend squabble and then announce their engagement.
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Friday, February 20th, 1981
13: Marcy's Wedding
Benson's role planning Marcy's wedding is complicated by Marcy's meddling mother.
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Friday, February 27th, 1981
14: Rivals
Kraus must pretend she is the governor's wife when a lifelong rival pays a visit.
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Friday, March 6th, 1981
15: No Sad Songs
Benson grieves the loss of his mother.
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Friday, March 13th, 1981
16: Clayton, Go Home
After receiving death threats, Clayton moves into the mansion.
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Friday, March 20th, 1981
17: Easy Kid Stuff
Benson struggles with the challenge of being a substitute father for a needy boy.
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Friday, April 3rd, 1981
18: Homework
Katie's homework assignment sets the stage for vignettes about each cast member.
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Friday, April 10th, 1981
19: Handwriting on the Wall
A controversial bill brings the governor strange threats.
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Friday, May 8th, 1981
20: The Governor's House Call
The governor, Benson and Clayton are trapped in a bordello and must avoid being noticed.
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Friday, May 15th, 1981
21: All Shook Up
Taking refuge during an earthquake, Benson and Clayton get to know each other better.
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Friday, May 22nd, 1981
22: Lifesaver
Kraus becomes overly appreciative when Benson saves her life.
Season 3
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Friday, November 6th, 1981
1: Benson's Appointment
The governor promotes Benson to state budget director.
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Friday, November 13th, 1981
2: The Grass Ain't Greener
Benson goes undercover to investigate conditions in a prison.
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Friday, November 27th, 1981
3: Sit-In
In Benson's office, a conductor holds a concert in protest.
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Friday, December 4th, 1981
4: Double Exposure
Benson must help an FBI agent uncover a bribe scandal.
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Friday, December 11th, 1981
5: The Lobbyist
Benson's lobbyist girlfriend poses a conflict of interest.
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Friday, December 18th, 1981
6: Stress
The governor tries to alleviate tension among the staff.
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Friday, December 25th, 1981
7: Rainbow's End
Benson learns that his old flame is confined to a wheelchair.
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Friday, January 8th, 1982
8: Once in a Blue Moon
After Clayton is assaulted, Benson approves of tighter security.
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Friday, January 15th, 1982
9: Kraus Falls in Love
Kraus falls for a man she can't have.
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Friday, January 22nd, 1982
10: Stocks & Options
The staff dabbles in the stock market with disastrous results.
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Friday, February 5th, 1982
11: Kraus's Deadly Mistake
Believing she will die soon, Kraus tries to seize the day.
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Friday, February 12th, 1982
12: Wild Irish Rose
A former governor visits along with his attractive niece.
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Friday, February 19th, 1982
13: Street Gangs
Benson tries to help a street gang stay out of trouble.
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Friday, February 26th, 1982
14: Katie's Romance
Katie develops a crush on Pete after he accompanies her to a gymnastics meet.
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Friday, March 5th, 1982
15: Clayton's Condo
Clayton buys an apartment building, not knowing Benson is now one of his tenants.
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Friday, March 12th, 1982
16: Getting Even
Benson concocts revenge for a wealthy investor who sexually harasses Denise.
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Friday, March 19th, 1982
17: Pete the Hero
Pete borrows Benson's car and gets into a wreck that leads to the capture of armed thieves.
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Friday, March 26th, 1982
18: In the Red
Benson is the victim of an IRS audit.
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Friday, April 2nd, 1982
19: Teed Off
A golf foursome leads to acrimony among the governor and his male assistants.
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Friday, April 30th, 1982
20: The Party's Over
The governor learns his party won't support his renomination.
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Friday, May 7th, 1982
21: The Lumber Mill
Governor Gatling decides to run for reelection as an independent.
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Friday, May 14th, 1982
22: Black Tuesday
The governor's reelection campaign appears to have ended in failure.
Season 4
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Friday, October 22nd, 1982
1: Death in a Funny Position (1)
A yacht cruise becomes a murder mystery when the owner of the boat is stabbed to death.
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Friday, October 22nd, 1982
2: Death in a Funny Position (2)
A yacht cruise becomes a murder mystery when the owner of the boat is stabbed to death.
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Friday, October 29th, 1982
3: What a Revoltin' Development
While attending a conference in Latin America, Benson and Pete are kidnapped by revolutionaries.
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Friday, November 5th, 1982
4: Thy Brother's Keeper
Benson's younger brother visits at the same time an important report is due.
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Friday, November 12th, 1982
5: Quest for Retire
The mansion's gardener seeks Benson's help as he approaches retirement.
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Friday, November 19th, 1982
6: Teacher's Pest
Benson tutors Kraus in economics to prepare her for a test.
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Friday, November 26th, 1982
7: Benson's Army Reunion
Benson and his army buddies are surprised to hear what became of a Korean kid they befriended during the war.
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Friday, December 3rd, 1982
8: Benson's New Home
Benson buys a house in need of many repairs from a shady real estate agent.
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Friday, December 10th, 1982
9: Crimes of the Hearth
When Benson's condo is robbed, he discovers that it won't be easy to catch the crooks.
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Friday, December 17th, 1982
10: Mary and Her Lambs
It's Christmas time and Benson helps an assistant cook keep her foster children.
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Friday, December 31st, 1982
11: Pen Pal
Kraus' ex-convict pen pal pays a visit.
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Friday, January 7th, 1983
12: The Honeymooners
When Kraus' fiancé can't make it to the wedding, Benson stands in as a substitute.
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Friday, January 14th, 1983
13: Close Encounters on the Third Hole
Benson and the governor believe they saw a UFO while playing golf.
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Friday, January 21st, 1983
14: Katie's Boyfriend
The governor allows Katie to go on her first date.
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Friday, January 28th, 1983
15: The Royal Painting
A former street gang is hired to paint the mansion for the visiting Queen of England.
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Friday, February 4th, 1983
16: Boy's Night Out
The male staff members gather at Benson's for a night of fun.
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Friday, February 18th, 1983
17: Family Tree
Benson and Clayton learn that they might be related to each other.
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Friday, February 25th, 1983
18: Calamity Kraus
Kraus pretends to be a wealthy heiress to keep a manufacturing plant in the state.
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Friday, March 4th, 1983
19: Kraus Sings the Blues
Benson hosts a telethon and lets Kraus sing when other acts cancel out.
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Friday, March 11th, 1983
20: Half-Court Trap
Benson learns that his basketball-star nephew can hardly read or write.
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Friday, March 18th, 1983
21: A View from the Roof
When a ladder falls, Benson and the governor are trapped on the roof of the mansion.
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Thursday, March 31st, 1983
22: Love in a Funny Phase
Benson is upset when his girlfriend Jennifer wants to date other men.
Season 5
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Friday, September 16th, 1983
1: Band of Gold
Benson, Kraus, Denise and Pete become stranded in the forest.
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Friday, September 23rd, 1983
2: Human Element
A robot becomes an unwelcome visitor to the mansion.
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Friday, September 30th, 1983
3: God, I Need This Job
Benson communicates with Jessica Tate's ghost.
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Friday, October 7th, 1983
4: Who's Arnold?
Benson poses as Kraus' husband when her mother visits from Germany.
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Friday, October 21st, 1983
5: Full Court Press
Fed up with insults, Clayton drags Benson into court.
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Friday, October 28th, 1983
6: Down the Drain
When Benson's sink needs attention, he summons a cranky elderly plumber.
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Friday, November 4th, 1983
7: It Ain't Sheik
Benson must convince a sheikh to bring his business to the state.
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Friday, November 11th, 1983
8: You Can't Give It Away
Benson wins the state lottery but has to donate the winnings to charity.
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Friday, November 18th, 1983
9: Katie's Cookies
Benson helps Katie win a cookie-baking contest.
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Friday, November 25th, 1983
10: Labor Pains
Benson must watch the baby of a neighbor who has been trapped in a snowstorm.
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Friday, December 2nd, 1983
11: Unlisted Love
The governor reconnects with his high-school crush.
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Friday, December 16th, 1983
12: The Governor's Brain Is Missing
Military agents replace Governor Gatling with a double.
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Friday, December 23rd, 1983
13: A Real Gone Daddy
Pete revisits the beatnik culture of his youth.
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Friday, January 6th, 1984
14: Too Pooped to Pip
Benson recruits Gladys Knight and the Pips to perform on a telethon.
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Friday, January 13th, 1984
15: In All the Wrong Places
A boy from Katie's school plays matchmaker with Benson and his single mother.
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Friday, January 20th, 1984
16: Embarrassing Moments
Benson is pronounced "Bachelor of the Month" by a magazine.
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Friday, January 27th, 1984
17: Take My Life, Please
A security check of the governor's staff results in Benson being named as a spy.
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Friday, February 3rd, 1984
18: Beauty and the Beef
Benson judges a beauty pageant and must resist the persuasive pleas of both Clayton and Governor Gatling.
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Friday, February 24th, 1984
19: We Deliver
Denise goes into labor while trapped in an elevator with Benson and the governor.
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Friday, March 2nd, 1984
20: The Endicott Dynasty
Clayton's father selects Benson to run his business empire.
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Friday, March 9th, 1984
21: The Little Hotel That Could
Kraus recruits Benson for help in sparing an old hotel from the wrecking ball.
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Friday, May 4th, 1984
22: Let's Play Doctor
A would-be doctor who is to receive an award from the governor is exposed as a fraud.
Season 6
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Friday, September 21st, 1984
1: The Scandal
Benson discovers that the lieutenant governor is accepting bribes.
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Friday, September 28th, 1984
2: The Inheritance
Benson inherits ownership of a men's magazine.
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Friday, October 12th, 1984
3: Let's Get Physical
Benson sweats out the results of his physical.
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Friday, October 19th, 1984
4: The Campaign
Benson begins his campaign for lieutenant governor by dealing with a donor who expects political favors.
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Friday, October 26th, 1984
5: The Election
Benson's fledgling campaign runs out of money.
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Friday, November 2nd, 1984
6: Made in Hong Kong (1)
When the governor and his staff travel to Hong Kong, Clayton is mistaken for a famous designer and is kidnapped.
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Friday, November 9th, 1984
7: Made in Hong Kong (2)
In Hong Kong, Benson and the local authorities seek to rescue Clayton, Kraus and the governor from a kidnapper.
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Friday, November 16th, 1984
8: Hello, We Must Be Going
Benson's plans to appoint Kraus as his assistant are thwarted.
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Friday, November 23rd, 1984
9: Double Date
Benson unsuccessfully plays matchmaker for Clayton.
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Friday, November 30th, 1984
10: Taking It to the Max
Benson's sister ignores his advice to be cautious with her ex-boyfriend.
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Friday, December 7th, 1984
11: The Reunion
Benson reunites with his long-lost brother and uncle.
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Friday, December 14th, 1984
12: Make War, Not Love
Benson attends a trade conference where two enemy nations declare war on each other.
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Friday, December 21st, 1984
13: Home for Christmas
Benson dreams of a boyhood Christmas after falling unconscious from a slip and fall.
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Friday, January 11th, 1985
14: On the Road
Benson goes in disguise to lure Kraus away from her acting aspirations.
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Friday, January 18th, 1985
15: Take This Job and Love It
Benson fights city hall over a proposed ordinance to ban breakdancing.
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Friday, January 25th, 1985
16: Making Change
Benson, Kraus, Clayton and the governor discuss the people who influenced their lives the most.
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Friday, February 1st, 1985
17: Solid Gold
Benson travels to Las Vegas and meets the Smothers Brothers.
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Friday, February 8th, 1985
18: The Oval Office
Summoned to the White House, Benson and the governor become trapped in the Oval Office.
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Friday, February 15th, 1985
19: Mid-Life Cowboy
An exhausted Governor Gatling plays cowboy at a dude ranch to unwind.
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Friday, February 22nd, 1985
20: Scenario
Fearing a nuclear attack, the governor and his staff retreat to a bomb shelter.
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Friday, March 15th, 1985
21: Dubois: Portrait of a Politician
With the governor away on business, Benson takes control of the state government.
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Friday, March 22nd, 1985
22: Katie's Cousin
Katie's wild cousin brings her to a bar where she is caught by Benson.
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Friday, March 29th, 1985
23: The Bookburner
Benson butts heads with a powerful senator over an education bill.
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Friday, April 5th, 1985
24: Jung at Heart
Passed over for a prestigious award, a delusional Clayton comes to think he is Benson.
Season 7
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Friday, October 4th, 1985
1: Benson the Hero
After thwarting an armed robbery, Benson is sued by the perpetrator.
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Friday, October 11th, 1985
2: Love and Politics
Benson dangerously mixes business with pleasure when he rekindles a relationship with a female state senator.
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Friday, October 18th, 1985
3: Uncle Jack
Benson reunites Governor Gatling with his long-lost brother.
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Friday, October 25th, 1985
4: The Stranger
A mysterious stranger lurks around the mansion on Halloween.
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Friday, November 8th, 1985
5: We Spy
In East Germany on business, Benson and Kraus are detained and accused of spying.
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Friday, November 15th, 1985
6: $1,000,000 an Hour
Benson and Clayton must spend an enormous budget surplus before the waning fiscal year expires.
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Friday, November 29th, 1985
7: Flight of the Dodo (1)
Clayton decides to be the helicopter pilot for Benson and the governor to a golf course. Clayton loses control of the helicopter.
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Friday, December 6th, 1985
8: Flight of the Dodo (2)
After crash-landing the helicopter in the desert, Benson, the Governor, and Clayton struggle to survive.
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Friday, December 13th, 1985
9: Two Boys and Their Dog
Clayton draws Benson into his plans to start a dog-breeding business.
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Friday, January 3rd, 1986
10: Last Man on Earth
Kraus dreams that a comet strike has left Benson and herself as the planet's sole survivors.
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Saturday, January 18th, 1986
11: Secret Love
Clayton's candidacy for state budget director is threatened by his relationship with a Soviet defector.
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Saturday, January 25th, 1986
12: Summer of Discontent
When Benson's namesake nephew arrives for Summer, he not only changes his name from Benson to Clete, he is also irresponsible with Benson's home, car and the job Benson got him for the Summer
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Saturday, February 1st, 1986
13: Parade Rest
A contractor working on one of the mansion's bathrooms goes missing.
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Saturday, February 8th, 1986
14: Reel Murder (1)
Actor George Kennedy's plans to film a movie in the mansion lead to a murder mystery.
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Saturday, February 15th, 1986
15: Reel Murder (2)
The staff try to solve the murder mystery before time runs out.
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Saturday, February 22nd, 1986
16: The Hat and the Ring
Benson contemplates a marriage proposal to his state senator girlfriend.
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Saturday, March 1st, 1986
17: The Bucks Stop Here
Clayton meets the obstacle to inheriting the family fortune, his father's young and beautiful fiancée.
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Saturday, March 15th, 1986
18: Pardon Me
Benson campaigns for a pardon for an incarcerated man who was wrongfully convicted.
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Saturday, March 22nd, 1986
19: Hi, Society
Kraus unknowingly leaks information to an influential columnist.
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Saturday, March 29th, 1986
20: Three on a Mismatch
The governor responds to an ad in the personals section of a magazine.
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Saturday, April 12th, 1986
21: Friends and Enemies
Benson's gubernatorial bid pits him against Governor Gatling.
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Saturday, April 19th, 1986
22: And the Winner Is...
With the votes cast, Benson and Governor Gatling await the results of the gubernatorial election.